By Joey Ball – Business Development Representative
Late last year, we shared 20 of our favorite blogs that association professionals can’t afford to miss. But there are far more than 20 great blogs out there, association-focused or otherwise, worth adding to your regular reading list.
(Click here to see last year’s list)
In this iteration, we’ll shine some of the spotlight on blogs that aren’t specific to associations and nonprofits — and we will include some of the association staples along the way. If you’re looking for inspiration to help you come up with your next great idea, these blogs are a fantastic place to start.
While all of these blogs have something to offer for association professionals looking to broaden their horizons, we’ve divided them into four easy-to-navigate categories: Events, Marketing, Associations & Nonprofits and Technology. We hope you find a few to add to your reading list!
Events
This is among the premier blogs for both veteran and rookie association event planners. This blog will help you break free from traditional planning practices to bring members unique event experiences they’ll never forget. You’ll also learn how to build better working relationships with exhibitors and speakers, and get a peek into the future of event technology.
Listicles and how-to’s have never been more popular in the blogosphere, and the Eventbrite blog has really leaned into the trend. Follow this blog for quick, actionable ideas that can be altered to fit the needs of your member-based organization. As an added bonus, the Eventbrite blog publishes content several times per month, so there are always new ideas to wrap your head around.
Webinars are like mini, virtual event experiences for members. For member-based associations aiming to up their webinar game, this is a can’t-miss blog. According to GoToWebinar, nonprofits are the 13th-highest producer of webinars, so we know plenty of you reading this will be interested in learning a few best practices to improve the online member experience.
Here’s a vast collection of news and notes focused on events, festivals, exhibitors, event technology and much more. There’s always something to learn here.
Marketing
The ClickDimensions blog focuses on all things marketing automation. If you’re planning to setup a new member onboarding email series or want to make sure your next email blast makes it to as many inboxes as possible, this is the blog for you.
Better Association Marketing (By HighRoad Solution)
For marketing tips specifically geared toward associations, follow HighRoad Solution’s blog. With several posts per month, you’re bound to find a few nuggets of membership marketing gold that are worth applying to your campaigns.
The HubSpot blog is a must-follow for every marketer, regardless of their industry. HubSpot seems to have covered every marketing topic under the sun. There’s no doubt you’ll find something useful.
LinkedIn Sales and Marketing Solutions
LinkedIn provides a spectacular opportunity to find and connect with prospective members (particularly through LinkedIn Sales Navigator). This is the go-to blog to help you connect with those future members by learning the ins and outs of audience building and advertising via the world’s 15th–most popular social media platform.
If it involves nonprofit marketing, you’ll find it covered here. Topics featured here include: how should you measure success, where to start with social media and tips to creating a useful editorial calendar. Try checking out the site footer to focus only on your favorite topics.
Associations & Nonprofits
GuideStar’s blog focuses primarily on fundraising and nonprofit leadership, pulling content from various authors to share unique and wide-ranging perspectives on the nonprofit world. With that said, this is among the blogs that really run the gamut as far as content is concerned — so it’s definitely worth a follow.
This online magazine, published by the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance, offers six newsletters per year, each packed with content that’s undoubtedly relevant to association professionals.
Web Scribble offers job board software to associations, but the focus of their blog extends well beyond job board-related content. While there are plenty of all fluff, no substance association blogs out there, this isn’t one of them. Visit Web Scribble’s blog to get the concise, actionable web content that’s the perfect length to read on your lunch break or as part of your morning routine.
The Nonprofit Fundraising Blog
When searching for fundraising and donation tips, Network for Good’s blog should be among your first stops. Looking to set up fundraising roles for your board members? Need to find new ways to thank donors? Want to clean up your donor data? Look no further than The Nonprofit Fundraising Blog.
Technology
We didn’t want to leave out the IT folks! Microsoft’s artificial intelligence blog will have you dreaming big about the future of AI and its potential impact on member engagement and relations.
What’s going on in the tech world, and how could that impact your association? Follow CIO and you’ll be in the loop on all the happenings of the technology space. It’s a great way to keep an eye on your preferred vendors to find out whether they are staying strong as industry leaders, or falling behind the pack.
Conclusion
The internet is overflowing with content. Perhaps we’ve reached a point where there’s too much to choose from. With this list, and the list that preceded it, we hope you were able to find a few blogs to add to your reading list. To read more of Protech’s content, check out our blog home page.
About the Author: Joey is a Business Development Representative at Protech who’s dedicated to building effective business relationships. Joey enjoys connecting with association leaders to elevate their member engagement and create great member experiences.